Spurs scoot past Suns

Reuters Staff

2 Min Read

Manu Ginobili scored a season-high 21 points and Kawhi Leonard also hit for 21 as the Spurs blew past Phoenix 103-89 on Friday at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, defeating the Suns for the third time in three meetings this season.

A 17-8 Spurs run over the first six minutes of the fourth quarter expanded an eight-point lead to 97-78 and turned a game that had been very competitive through 36 minutes into a runaway.

San Antonio led 49-42 after a first half that featured four ties and eight lead changes. The Spurs held as much as a nine-point advantage, garnered on a floater by Forbes at the 2:10 mark of the second quarter.

Leonard and Forbes each had 14 points at halftime to lead the scoring, while Booker led the Suns with 12 first-half points.

Things heated up in the final minutes of the third quarter as Phoenix used strong inside play, offensive rebounding and two baskets by Len to claw to within 72-69 with 1:24 to play in the period. Ginobili responded with back-to-back 3-pointers to create a bit of a cushion, and — after a 35-foot 3-pointer by Booker — added another from long distance to stake San Antonio to an 80-72 lead heading into the fourth.

San Antonio shot 47.1 percent from the field and sank 11 of 30 3-point tries. Phoenix made 42.2 percent of its field-goal attempts and was 7 of 30 from 3-point range.

Spurs team officials announced about an hour and a half prior to tipoff that forward LaMarcus Aldridge would be held out of the game for rest. Aldridge led San Antonio in scoring in 30 of the 38 games he has played this season.